Tag-marking machine.



G. H. LANG.

TAG MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1908.

1,023,570. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 SHBETSSHEET 1.

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Thaw/1 1, I w SQ k G. H. LANG.

TAG MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1908

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-$115131 2.

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' GEORGE H. LANG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TAG-MARKING MACH IN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed July 24, 1808. Serial No; 445,243.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massa" chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tag-Marking Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to marking or printing machines of that character that are adapted to print the same mark or charactor a plurality of times on a tag or slip of paper.

The machine is especially designed for marking tags such as are used in connection with the manufacture of shoes, although it can be equally well used in marking tags that are used in connection with the manufactors of other articles.

It is now customary in shoe factories to make the shoes by cases, that is, the parts necessary to make all the shoes of a case of shoes are started through the factory together, passing from one operator to another, and each operator performs on the shoe his particular operation. A tag suitably printed to indicate the number of the"purticular case of shoes bein operated on and the number of pairs 0 shoes in the case, and also any other data desired is sent through the factory with each case of shoes; and each tag is usually sub-divided into sections, each section being marked to indicatedthe number of the case, number of pairs of shoes in the case, and any other required data. As each operator performs his work on the shoes of any case of shoes, he severs from the ta one of the marked sub-divisions thereo to indicate that he has performed his particular operation on the shoes of the particular case indicated on the tag. A tag such as above described has to have imprinted thereon the required data as many times as there are different operations to be performed on the shoe.

It is the object of my present invention to prm'ide a novel marking machine which is adapted to print the same numbers or characters rapidly and any number of given times on a tag.

The features wherein my in venti n residcs will be more fully hereinafter described and then pointed out in the appended claims. J

in the drawings wherein I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of a marking device embodying the invention; 'Fi 2 is a top plan view of the platen an feed mechanism for the tag; Fig. 3 is a section on the line wm, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section onthe line y-y, Fig. 2; Figr5 shows a tag which has been printed on by my machine.

In the machine herein shown the characters are rinted on the ta by means of a printing cad 3 which carries a luralit y of independently'adjustable type disks 4 and which is mounted on a vibrating arm 5 which is carried by a rock-shaft 6 that is journaled to the frame 7 of the machine. The type disks are rot-atabl mounted on a shaft 12 and each type-dis 4 has thereon type or characters such as it'is desired to print on the tag, the characters which are most commonly printed on the tag being numbers. disk may have thereon the digits from 0 to 9. Any desired number of type disks may be employed and the type-disks are independently adjustable so that any desired combi- Where this is the case each type v nation of figures can be printed. While the adjustment of the type disks may be secured in any suitable way, I have shown each type disk as having rigid therewith a pinion 8 which meshes with a se mental gear 9 suitably pivoted on a she t 10 and having a thumb-piece ll rojccting through the casing of the head y which it may be turned. The arm 5 may be vibrated by any appropriate mechanism, that herein shown comprising a crank disk 13 connected to the end of the lever 5 by means of a link 14, said crank disk having rigid therewith a gear wheel 15 that meshes with and is driven by a pinion 16 carried on the driving shaft 17. Any other way of vibrating the printing head the n. that herein shown, however, may be employed without departing from the invention. This type of printing head and the means for vibrating it are or mav be all as shown in my Patents Number 864,790 and Number 877,653, and form no part of my present invention.

The tag 20 to be printed is supported on a platen 21 during the printing operation, this platen being situated directly beneath the-printing head, and in such a position that it receives the imprint of the .type as the printing head descends. The printing of the tag is accomplished by causing the tag to be fed across the platen with a step- I herein shown.

by-step n'iorement as the printing head rises and descends whereby the same numbers or .over the table by suitab e guides 23 which engage the side thereof. The edge 24 of the table is situated closely adjacent the platen, as best seen in Fig. 2, so that the tag can readily pass from the table over the platen. For feeding the tag forward with the step-by-step movement I have shown feed rolls which are situated to engage the tag at that portion thereof on which the printing does not appear. In the present embodiment the feed rolls are separate from the platen and are arranged to engage the tag at apoint in advance of the place where the printing is done although this is not essential to the invention.

Situated directly beneath the platen is a shaft 26 which is adapted to be positively driven and which has thereon one or more feed rolls 27, two such feed rolls being The shaft may conveniently extend through and be journaled in the base 28 on which the platen is supported. Co operating with the feed rolls 27 are other rolls 29 which are in the nature of presscr rolls. These rolls 29 are mounted on a. shall 30 which is journaled in inclined slots 34- presser roll 29 against the feed roll 27. The

slots 34 incline upwardly away from the feed roll and the slotted arms 31 incline in the opposite direction as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The shaft 32 has fast thereto an arm 38 by means of which the rock-shaft 32 may be turned to carry the slotted arms 31 away from-the feed rolls 2? thereby causing the shaft 30 to be moved upwardly in the slot 34 and separating the rolls 29 from the feed rolls 2?. This is done Whenever it is desired to place a new tag into the machine in position to be engaged by the feed rolls. \Vhen the lever 38 is released, the spring or springs 31?, hold the presser rolls 29 in engagement with the feed rolls 27.

The shaft 26 carrying the feed rolls 27 is present embodiment of the invention, said pawl 40 is shown as pivoted at one end to an arm 42 which in turn is pivotally mounted on the frame, as at 43.. The arm 42 has extending therefrom a projection or lug 44 which is adapted to be engaged by a cam 45. fast on the rock-shaft 6 that pivotally snpports the vibrating arm 5. A spring 48 Whicl'i t0 and at the other end to a fixed-stand 49 serves both to keep the pawl. against'the ratchet wheel and to keep the pro ection 44" against the cam 45. As the" arm 5 vibrates to give the printing head its downward the pawl -10 to be retracted as the high portion of the cam 45 passes out from under the projection 44. The tag is thus fed forward one step each time that an impression is made.

It will he noted that the feed rolls grip the tag all a point somewhat in advance of that on which the impression is made and that the prcsscr roll engages the. tag on the sit'lc of the feed roll and belowthe lane of the table 22.. In order to guide t e front end of the tag into the space between the rolls when the tag, is inserted in the machine, l have made the guide 23 which overlies the edges of the tag with the downwardlycuricd ends :30, said ends having a curvaturc concentric with that. of the feed rolls 27 and being situated directly over said feed rolls, as plainly seen in Fig. 3. When the ta; is to be inserted, it is ushed over the table 22 underneath the guides 23 and the forward ends 50 of said guides direct the lag between the rolls 27, 29.

Sometimes the tag to be printed is cut at to properly guide a tag of this nature into is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchetwheel 41 fast on the shaft 26.

and turning about the axis thereof. In the Thi pawl is i operated by a member rigid with th .tllll the space between the feed rolls, I have provided an additional guide finger 51 which is seem-rd to a bridge piece 60 that connects the two guides 23. This guide finger 51 exn-nds forwardly and is curved downwardly at its end in the same manner that the ends 50 of the guides 23 are. \Vhen the tag such as shown in Fig. 5 is inserted beneath the guides the central portion of the end of the tag is directed downwardly so that the tag will properly enter the space between the feed rolls.

In order to enable the operator to propl erl position the tag for makin the first imprrssi n thereon, I harp provi ed an index is connectedat. one end to they pawl t 'finger 61 which is rigid with the bridge 60 and the end of which is situated adjacent the platen 21. The operator inserts the tag beneath the guides 23 and pushes it forward until the line where the first impression is to be made is opposite the index finger 61. It should be remarked that when the machine is stopped, the head is in the elevated position as shown in Fig. 1, and it will be re membered that the feeding movement of the tag takes place while the head is descending. After the tag has been thus inserted to bring the line where the first impression is to be made opposite the index linger the machine is ready to be started, and as the printing head descends the tag is fed forward to bring the first space thereon over the platen and in position to receive the impression.

In order to prevent the feed roll from overrunning when the machine is operated rapidly I- have provided a friction device which cotiperates with the shaft 26 to hold the latter at rest except when it is being fed forward by the pawl and ratchet. This friction device may conveniently be in the form of a clamping screw 6.) which bears against a pad or brake 66 that rests on and engages the shaft 26.

Theend of the shaft 26 is provided with a hand wheel 67 by which said shaft and the feed rolls 27 may be turned by hand. In printing some tags it is desirable to skip certain sections, as shown in Fig. 5, so'that the printing will appear on part only of the sections. \Vhenever it is desired to skip any section the tag may be turned forward by hand by means of the hand wheel 67.

Some users of tags prefer to have them printed on one edge, others prefer to have them printed on the other edge, and other users prefer to have them printed in the middle with both edges left free. My machine is adapted to print tags in any one of these various ways and to accomplish this I make the feed rolls 27 and presser rolls 29 capable of adjustment longitudinally of their re spective shafts and provide for shifting the platen 21 longitudinally. As shown in the drawings the platen is situated between the two rolls 27. If the printing is to be placed on the tag near the opposite edge from that shown in Fig. 5 the operator will exchange the places of the feed rolls 27 so that the wider feed roll will be situated where the narrow one is in Fig. 2. If the printing is to be placed at" both edges of the tag with the center of the tag left clear, then the feed rolls will be placed centrally of the shaft and two platens will be employed either side of the feed rolls. The platen or platens are held in place by the shaft 26 extending therethrough and can readily be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft into any desired. p051- tion according to the position of the feed rolls.

. While I have illustrated herein one embodiment of my invention, I do not Wish tn be limited to the constructional featured; shown.

Having fully described my" mamma the feed roll, a. ratchet rigid with the feed roll, a pawl therefor, 11. member rigid with and turning about the same axis as the arm for operating the pawhand edge guides extending from the feed roll some distance in tfhg direction from which the work is being 2. In a tag-printin machine, the com bination with a pivotfily-mounted arm and a printing head connected thereto, of a fixed platen to support the tag while being printed, a feed roll situated to engage the tag at a point substantially in line with the line on which the impression is made, yielding means to hold the tag against the feed roll, a ratchet rigid with the feed roll, a pawl therefor, a member rigid with and turnin about the same axis as the arm for operating the pawl, and edge guides extendingirom the feed rolls some distance therefrom in the direction from which the work is fed.

3. In a tag-printing machine, the combination with a reciprocating printing head carrying adjustable type, of a fixed platen to support the tag while being printed, a positively-driven feed roll, a presser roll cooperating with the' feed roll to feed the tag, a rock-shaft having slotted arms in which the pres'ser roll is mounted and means to determine the position of the presser'roll in the slots of said arms as the rock shaft is turned about its axis.

4. In a tag-printing machine, the combination with a reciprocatin printing head carrying adjustable type, 0 a fixed platen to support the tag while being printed, a positively-driven feed roll, a presser roll cooperating with the feed roll to feed the tag, a rock-shaft having slotted arms in which the presser roll is mounted, a spring actin on said arms to maintain the presser rol in yielding engagement with the feed roll and a frame having slots that incline in a direction opposite to those of the arms and in which the shaft of the presser roll is mounted.

5. In a tag-printing machine, the combination with a reciprocating printing head carrying adjustable type and a rock-shaft on which said head is mounted, of a platen to support the tag while, being printed, a feed ml] for feeding the hug forward, :1 IHlnllil I rectiun of fraud anzl lungilin'linally nf tln:

feed roll and having ils ixnpr Risiunrecciv ing surf-[nae situated in lime with lln) l'e-wl roll in the. direction n'f ilH length.

7. In tug-printing machine the mm binalion will! u reciprncnling printing liv-ul carrying adjustablu l vpv, 11F 2L shaft :1 i1 roll ndjustably mounted tlwrenn, utnl a platnn having a bore through whirl; Eiw shaft extvnds said platen bring hold in 30 sifion by said shaft.

'8. In a tag-marking machine, the cambination with a frame, of a vertically-movable printing head operated thernby, a feed roll adapted to engage the tag and adjust able transverselv 0f the direction of feei,

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